Tishamingo State Park Hike

We stayed 6 nights at Bay Springs, and during that time, made a day trip to nearby Tishamingo State Park.

The park, named after a Chickasaw chief, preserves Mississippi’s only real rock canyon. 13 miles of foot trails were built in the park during the 30’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

A swinging bridge, also built in 1939 leads the way to one section of the trail.

As we crossed the bridge, we were enjoyed watching the many large turtles sunning on available logs and rocks in Bear Creek. These turtles were huge, at least 12” across their shells, and we continued to spot more of them all day.

A rocky outcrop on the creek bank afforded us the ideal setting for our picnic lunch.

The woods contained several blooming bushes of mountain laurel and bush honeysuckle.

The trail was moderately rugged as it left the creek’s edge and began to climb, often over large rocks and roots.

The park is the only location in the state suitable for rock climbing, and our path wound along many of the huge outcroppings.

One of the highlights of the 3+ mile hike was the small waterfall we found, obviously originating from one of the many springs in the area.

The day was beautiful and the hike just the right length.